NASA Chief Defies FAA With 'High-Risk' Flight

NASA chief Jared Isaacman took to the skies over Washington in a vintage fighter jet on July 4, even after federal regulators flagged the plan as too risky. The Federal Aviation Administration rejected a request on June 30 to let four 1970s-era Northrop F-5 Tiger II jets participate in the National Mall flyover for America's 250th birthday, calling the aircraft "very high-risk" and citing concerns about flight controls, ejection scenarios, and past crashes, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Isaacman, a seasoned pilot, went ahead anyway, arguing that the F-5s were operating as government aircraft and therefore outside the FAA's authority over civilian aviation. He said the jets had been placed under NASA control, though agency records still listed his company, JDI Holdings, as owning three of them. Isaacman said there was never a safety question and described the issue as a misunderstanding of the FAA's role. His jet helped open an hours-long show that also featured US military aircraft, per AeroTime. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford texted him good wishes before the flight, Isaacman said, though Trump administration officials slated to ride in the planes ultimately sat out.